Groveling
by Pen Sil
Summary: Slightly AU. There's one thing Sin isn't good at groveling with sincerity, but Kougyoku isn't about to let him off the hook without an apology.


**GROVELING**

There was silence in the library. In fact, for once there was no tension over exams or expectations from home. Most people had even _gone home _since it was the celebration of the coronation of the first High King Solomon, who had united the world.

That was now more than two-hundred years ago and Kougyoku couldn't imagine spending that time with her family. Coronation Day was not supposed to be spent in misery - of course, there were Judal and Entei, but they were always very busy.

The princess sighed and shifted in her comfortable armchair and pulled her legs up under her.

She really didn't look forward to finishing school, though it wouldn't happen until she turned twenty-one, at which point in time she would be married off to some lousy regent in some distant country. As far away from her father's wife's sight as she could possibly get. As per usual.

Not that this school for young royals were anything but the best, and not that it wasn't demanded of every child of a regent to attend it - it was an attempt for them to grow up together so there hopefully wouldn't be as many wars. It wasn't really Gyokuen's idea, it was just damn convenient for her.

Kougyoku wasn't the only one who had decided to stay at school. Alibaba Saluja was sitting in a corner with his attendant, Morgiana, and best friend, Aladdin - though as far as Kougyoku'd always been able to tell they were all three on equal terms and spoke to each other as such. Her cousin, Hakuryuu, too had stayed behind, though he was not in the library. In another chair she saw a young princess of Leam, and so it went on. The library was a place for reading and relaxation after all, something most of the royals enjoyed.

She smiled and fingered the key that hung around her neck. She wondered how long it would take him to find her here.

* * *

"Sin, I'm not quite sure I understand what you're saying," Jafar said. Sinbad thought it was more that he was so disbelieving he wouldn't trust his ears, more than it was the context of his words, which made him say that.

"I think you understood me quite perfectly," the crown prince of Sindria said. "I asked the Eight Imperial Princess to keep an eye on the key to the chest with my metal vessels in. I didn't have the foresight to realize I'd be pissing her off at a time when I needed to use them."

"Are you a complete moron or do you just enjoy putting yourself in these situations?"

"I don't like the fact that you can say that with a straight face. And if you're referring to the incident in Barbadd last summer -"

"That incident isn't the only one, either, is it?" Jafar interrupted. Mercilessly he started counting on his fingers. "There's the one in Barbadd, which was quite horrendous to be sure. Then there was the one back home where you said you'd given them away to charity, and the one in Leam_, _the one in Partevia was even worse…"

"Are you quite done yet? I actually thought this one was the best way to keep them safe."

"_You gave away the bloody key! _And to a Kou Princess no less!_"_

Sinbad sighed. "Would you keep your voice down, please, Jafar? People are starting to stare, and I had hoped to trust her with it again - once I'm done with it."

"Why? She's -"

"Kougyoku is very conveniently in love with me," Sinbad said, his voice falling in volume. "So there's no way she'd lose anything I'd ask her to hold on to."

Jafar's eyes narrowed. "You're going to regret that," he warned.

"Oh, I already am," Sinbad said, smiling quite pleasantly in spite of the fact that he knew the princess was quite unforgiving and he'd probably have to swallow his pride before the day was over. His father would have a real good laugh about this if he ever found out - and with Jafar present there was no way he wasn't going to.

The assassin gaped at him for several minutes, enabling Sinbad to continue his search in peace. She hadn't been in the stables, nor had she been in the dojo, though Hakuryuu said there was a big chance she was spending her days in the library, which was where they had now arrived.

"Listen, Sin," Jafar said at last.

Sinbad stopped and checked the door was closed. "Yes?"

"I still don't see a reason for you to give it back to her after you're done with it," he said. "You might as well give it to one of your attendants. You know that's what we're here for, right?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Jafar," Sinbad said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But as you can see there just isn't anything that quite compares to the loyalty of a woman in love. It even transcends borders."

Jafar wasn't impressed. "Last time I saw the Eight Imperial Princess of Kou she looked like she was ready to murder you."

Oh, he'd hoped this wouldn't come up. "Well, I… uh, as I said I might have … insulted her a bit."

Now he looked incredulous again. "A bit? What did you do?"

"Do you really have such little faith in me, Jafar, that you're willing to assume I did something terrible before I've even taken the time to explain?"

"What did you do?"

"Really. I'm wounded!" Sinbad sighed theatrically. When Jafar continued to glare up at him he sobered and said "I might have touched her."

Jafar paled. "You - you - you -! Now I understand! I'm surprised her father hasn't requested your head on a platter! Are you _mad_?! She's -"

"A princess of royal birth, yes. A person born to be sold off for the highest bidder in her father's endless political games? Very much so -" Sin stopped himself and squashed the unreasonable anger in his chest. There was no reason for him to be angry with the regent of Kou when he himself had no interest in the princess outside what she would and would not do for him. Really, she was quite useful.

Jafar, too, had seen the wrath rise in his prince. "Sin… you don't -"

"It really was only a little thing," he said, smiling with ease now. "Now, if you'll have me excused, I think I'll get this public torture over before more people decide it's time to get some reading in during the holidays."

* * *

The door to the library opened with a click, and Kougyoku couldn't help her eyes; they traveled to the source of the sound. It was quite easy to recognize him as it always was. Tall, wide shouldered, and majestic, Sinbad was everything that needed to be present in a crown prince and more.

She forced her heart back in place - if only it would be still and stop beating so quickly in her chest; she wasn't sure if she felt like a girl in love or an animal being preyed upon sometimes - and her eyes back on the page. It was impossible to focus on the characters of her native writing system, but she scanned the lines anyway. She knew him well enough to know he would notice any sign of weakness he could use against her.

Sinbad crossed the room in silence, only his robes betraying his movement, and came to a halt right in front of her. He bowed and stated his business immediately; "Princess, if you have the time I have need of your assistance. If you would please come with me for a more private discussion, I would be most grateful."

He'd spoken in a low voice, obviously trying to avoid the curious ears of everyone in the library. Not that every ear wasn't stained and every eye trained on them; it wasn't every day such a scene was displayed to them.

Kougyoku wanted to not be impressed. That didn't mean her cheeks weren't heating up and she didn't want to purr at his tone. She'd never been so glad she'd grown up in a court that demanded you knew how to control your facial expression. She looked up at him, tilted her head and knew her face betrayed nothing. "Unfortunately," she said, voice slow, "I do not have any attendants with me at the moment, and I know how dangerous it is for any young woman to go anywhere with you alone."

Behind Sinbad Jafar's expression turned murderous. Sinbad, on the other hand, didn't flinch at all. "Now, now, princess," he said. "As you can see Jafar would never let anything happen to you, and -"

"Sin, as you are very well aware I would not be able to interfere with any actions on your part," Jafar warned.

"Thank you, Jafar," Kouyoku said and granted him her most sunny smile.

He bowed. "I would never allow him anywhere near you, lady princess, if I knew he would put you through something so terrible," he assured her.

"Are you applying for a new position?" Sinbad hissed at him.

"Of course not," Jafar said, smiling pleasantly, "but that doesn't mean I trust you."

"Why you!"

Kougyoku hid her amusement with her sleeve. "Gentlemen," she said, "if you are quite done with entertaining the library I have a book to finish."

"Right, apologies, your highness," Jafar said and grabbed Sinbad's arm to drag him off. "Come on, Sin. She's already said no."

Sinbad didn't move. "No, she hasn't," he said. His smoldering eyes met hers and she held her breath behind her sleeve. "Princess, I need that key back."

"This one?" she asked, producing it in her hand and shoved him in a way that no one else would be able to see it. There was no need to betray him even if she was angry.

"Yes, that one."

His face had lit up a little when he saw the golden key, and he started to reach out for it, but it quickly vanished up Kougyoku's sleeve again. She re-opened her book and used it to avert her gaze. "Well, unfortunately for you, I am not inclined to give it back, at this very moment."

There was a moment of silence and she waited for his next move. There was no way he'd give up that easily. Maybe he was just so surprised he got a no he wasn't sure what to do?

"Come now, princess," he said at last. "I trusted you to give it back to me when I really needed it."

"And do you now?"

"Very much so," he said, obviously relieved.

Kougyoku lifted a sleeve to hide a victorious smile. She blinked up at him innocently. "Then kneel."

Sinbad blinked in disbelief. "Ex-excuse me?"

"You heard me," she said and tilted her head to smile endearingly up at him. "I know your hearing is quite excellent, your highness."

He frowned down at her, as if he'd just been asked a problem in class he couldn't understand. He almost looked cute when he was acting human. "Is that all you request of me, princess?"

"No."

Jafar had to hide his laughter, and Sinbad turned to briefly glare at him.

"I would also like for you to apologize to me," Kougyoku said, still smiling at him. "I think such things are in order considering your actions."

A lesser man would have spluttered, she supposed, but Sinbad merely glanced around at their audience, smiled pleasantly at them, and turned back to Kougyoku. "Anything else?"

"Plenty," she said, "but as long as you're somewhat sincere the rest can wait. I'll even be quite happy to forgive you."

"Naturally," he muttered under his breath.

With a flourish only Prince Sinbad, son of the Regent of the Seven Seas, was capable of he knelt before her. There was a collective gasp at the profanity of the situation; she was merely an Eight Imperial Princess, and not someone worthy of much attention after all. Sindria and Kou weren't exactly the greatest of friends either, which made the situation all the more unbelievable for the rest. "Dear Lady," he said, voice filled with sincerity. "I have offended you in the most terrible way, and I am so very sorry for my actions."

Behind him Jafar sighed in despair. His prince really had no talent for groveling. Kougyoku hid her smile and said just that.

"Shall I apologize for that as well, my lady?" Sinbad asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"No," she said, "that will do. Your hand please."

Sinbad reached out his open hand and she dropped the key into it. It vanished up his sleeve immediately. "Thank you," he said and rose. Instead of leaving he leant close to her, making her gasp along with the rest of the room.

"Wh-wh-wha-what are you -"

"Princess," he whispered, immediately shutting her up. It didn't help that his eyes were warm like fires and laughing quite merrily at her. "You've won this round. Now, if you ever need my assistance again I'm sure we can find an arrangement."

She kicked him in the shin.

As Sinbad crumbled to his knees - for the second time that day, some would say - Kougyoku closed her book and skirted around him, bowing to Jafar and leaving the room.

* * *

Sorry Sin.

I got a comment on my last SinKou fic that said she should have made him kneel and I found the idea so amusing I had to write something.

This one is a bit AU ish but I wanted a different setting so I didn't have to muck about in the same old problems one more time.

Remember reviews are love!


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